[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 13632]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                  SUPPORT FOR PATIENTS' BILL OF RIGHTS

  (Mr. OSBORNE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my support for the 
patients' bill of rights sponsored by my colleague, the gentleman from 
Kentucky (Mr. Fletcher).
  In evaluating the two bills providing for patient protections before 
us, I had to ask myself which of these bills will improve health care 
without creating a crisis. According to the Census Bureau 2000 current 
population report, in my home State of Nebraska, 179,000 people are 
currently without health insurance.

                              {time}  1015

  Mr. Speaker, the last thing I want is for this body to pass 
legislation that will significantly inflate the number of uninsured. I 
have received many letters and phone calls from small business 
employers in my district asking for leave from the high cost of 
providing insurance to their employees. Many employers in my district 
are facing double-digit increases in health care costs this year. The 
number of phone calls and letters has tripled in the last several weeks 
from these same employers.
  Mr. Speaker, the goal of a Patients' Bill of Rights legislation is to 
do two things: number one, reduce the ranks of the uninsured; and, 
number two, increase access to health care coverage. Unlimited lawsuits 
will accomplish precisely the opposite. They will drive up costs and 
increase the number of people without health care insurance.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in supporting this bill.

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